Find & Hire Tableau developer Today

>How to hire Tableau developers and why they matter

The modern world is filled with useable data, and to really leverage that fact, the pertinent question is not whether you should hire a tableau developer, but how to hire tableau developers. Businesses that use Tableau to help them make data-driven decisions can get a competitive advantage, and Yotewo can help you to find the inhouse or freelance Tableau developers you need to get ahead.

Here we’ll take a look at what exactly Tableau can do for you, and how best to hire talented developers that will take data and turn it into actionable insights and powerful narratives.

Tableau explained

Tableau is a highly popular suite of data visualisation products made by the company of the same name (acquired by Salesforce in 2019). It allows businesses and other organisations to turn raw data into intuitive visual displays that can be used to gain valuable business intelligence insights and to illustrate brand stories and more to customers and investors. With a user-friendly interface that allows you to create interactive dashboards and visualisations on virtually anything you have data for, it’s become widely popular across the world, and experienced Tableau developers are in high demand for the value they can deliver to companies.

The most significant software products used by Tableau developers are

• Tableau Desktop – This is the core software platform that is used by data scientists and Tableau developers for visualisation and analysis. It can be connected to many different data sources, such as spreadsheets and databases, and then turned into visualisations such as graphs and maps using a drag and drop interface. The software is installed on a desktop computer, hence the name
• Tableau Server – Server is an enterprise level online platform for hosting all your projects and data. It’s often used by large organisations with frequent collaborative needs in data visualisation and business intelligence.
• Tableau Online – For businesses that want to keep their infrastructure and IT costs relatively low, the Online edition offers a cloud-hosted version of Server.
• Tableau Prep Builder – Tableau developers use Prep Builder for ‘cleaning’ and otherwise preparing raw data for use in the analytics and visualisation engine.

The power of interactive visual storytelling

While developers and statisticians may be comfortable interpreting raw numbers, for most people more intuitive and visual representation is preferred and needed. Tableau developers can turn data into easily understandable visual stories that can be accessed by stakeholders within the company, clients and other parties.

Rather than presenting a single chart, graph or even presentation to illustrate a point, Tableau developers create comprehensive ‘dashboards’ that consist of multiple charts, graphs and information organised together in one place. Once ready, viewers can click through the dashboard to access information and insights as needed. By crafting the data into a logical and attractive visual form, Tableau developers can engineer a powerful narrative and informative tool.

Information can be presented in a myriad different types of charts, from simple bar, line and pie charts to Gantt charts, bubble charts and histograms. Experienced freelance Tableau developers know which ones to use when and with what data, and which combinations of charts are most effective to achieve an overall goal.

Examples of dashboards that a developer might create include:

• KPI monitoring and tracking
• Financial reporting
• Analysis of sales and market
• Data relating to public health programs and initiatives

Creating dashboards isn’t just about displaying visualisations that are easy on the eye though. With their many complex connections and data sources, they can be used to discover patterns, insights and predictions in your business data that might otherwise have laid undiscovered and unutilised.

There are many potential benefits to using Tableau for data visualisation, data sharing and collaboration, and analytics. It can, for example, facilitate enhanced decision making and empower users at all levels of the organisation to perform advanced analysis as and when needed. Other benefits include dramatic time savings when compared to traditional data analysis methods, and the ability to work with very large data sets in real-time.

Why are Tableau developers needed?

When you’re considering how to hire Tableau developers, you might also be considering why to hire them. The fact is that although Tableau has an easy-to-use interface and the results that it generates are easy to look at, creating effective and powerful visualisations that will translate into real results takes a significant amount of skill and knowledge. Developers often have extensive training that gives them the knowledge of not just the nuts and bolts of how to turn data into visualisations, but also of the storytelling aspect of the role which lets them know which sets of information are valuable when presented together, and how best to present them to achieve the desired effect. Many companies hire Tableau developers for their creativity and insight as much as their technical skills with the platform.

Who hires tableau developers?

Tableau developers are in demand by businesses and organisations across the world, from large financial organisations and consumer-facing businesses to non-profit organisations and public sector bodies. For some, having full-time inhouse experts is a mission critical matter, whilst for others their needs are catered for by freelance Tableau developers who are able to bring their data processing and visualisation skills to a wide variety of environments.

One of the key aspects of dashboards and visualisations are that they can be used to quickly and intuitively provide decision makers at all levels and across many different fields with the information they need to make important decisions or gain vital insights. For example, a dashboard created by a developer might give a product manager the insight to know which of their products need to be marketed more effectively, or it might let a university admissions manager know what times of the year are most popular for applying for particular courses.

What kind of visualisations can tableau developers create?

Tableau dashboards allow a range of visual analytics tools to be presented alongside each other in a complementary manner. Skilled freelance Tableau developers are familiar with all of these tools, and know which ones to use in any given situation. A dashboard may be made up of a variety of different instances of the following visualisation types:

• Charts – Charts include a variety of different graphs and diagrams, such as pie charts, area charts, scatter plots and line graphs. They can be used to present many different types of data in quick and easy to understand way.
• Tables – Tables generally have a number of rows and columns and present numerical data in a straightforward way that makes it possible to present a more detailed view. 
• Maps – Geospatial and geographic information system (GIS) data can be presented in map form, and can be a powerful way of displaying the relationship between your data and geographic location.

How to hire tableau developers with Yotewo

If you’re wondering how to hire tableau developers without spending large amounts of time and money on the search and recruitment process itself, you’re in the right place. With Yotewo you can hire developers not just quickly, but in line with your exact requirements and situation. We give you access to experienced full-time, part-time and freelance Tableau developers from around the world, with immediate availability. Our matching process is fast and efficient, while all costs are transparent and free of surprises.

For you, the process is simple:

1. Give us your specifications – Are you looking to hire Tableau developers for long-term work, or are you searching for freelance Tableau developers for a one-off project? How many years of experience should they have in using the software? Are you looking for any other particular experience or skills?
2. Get matched – We’ll take the hard work out of finding your ideal hire, taking your specifications and matching them to the pre-vetted experts in our network, on average within just 48 hours.
3. Hassle-free onboarding – Yotewo will give you and your new Tableau developer support during the onboarding process, so you can get results quickly and smoothly.

Important skills for tableau developers

As well as thinking about how to hire tableau developers, you should also consider what skills you need them to have which will help with the data analytics and insights you’re looking for. They should obviously be deeply proficient in the platform itself (the exact amount of years of experience needed will vary depending on the types of data sources you’re working and the exact nature of the business intelligence you’re looking for). Top Tableau experts will also have well-honed analytical skills that will allow them to decide which sources to use, in what relation to each other, and which methods of analysis and visualisation are best for any given dashboard.

Although Tableau uses an intuitive drag and drop interface, knowledge of certain programming languages is also advantageous when hiring Tableau developers. The platform’s proprietary language is VizQL, but several others can also be used, including Python and R. Although programming knowledge isn’t essential and Tableau is a ‘no/low code’ platform, developers with experience in these languages can facilitate even deeper analysis and integration with other tools. Strong proficiencies in using databases, APIs and other business intelligence applications will also be of great benefit when you hire Tableau developers.

One of the most important skills to look for in freelance Tableau developers and permanent hires is a knack for visual storytelling. It’s not enough to simply take the data and present it in a visually appealing way – talented Tableau developers will turn your data into powerful stories that convey not just information but a narrative that you can use as a blueprint for practical action. Good general communication skills are also vital, as one of the main parts of the role is effectively communicating the patterns and insights that lie within the data.

Choosing between permanent and freelance tableau developers

Whether you hire a freelance Tableau developer or you bring one on to your team on a permanent basis depends largely on your needs and current situation. There are a variety of benefits and drawbacks to hiring each:

• Freelance Tableau developers

Pros

•  Expand your business intelligence capabilities exactly when you need to
•  No commitment
•  Lower long-term costs
•  Faster onboarding
•  Access particular skills for specific projects

Cons

•  Developer lacks in-depth knowledge of your company
• Availability issues

• Permanent full-time/ part-time table developers

Pros

• Constant, reliable access to analytics talent and expertise
• Developer has in-depth insider knowledge of your company and its data
• Growth of inhouse Tableau/ business intelligence knowledge

Cons

• Higher long-term costs in terms of salary, benefits and other aspects
• Longer hiring process (though Yotewo can help significantly)
• Commitment – Whether you currently need their skills or not, you’re committed to employing a developer on a regular basis

If you’re just dipping your toe into the waters of dashboards for the first time or you have a one-off data analysis and visualisation project you need handled, hiring a freelance Tableau developer might be the right choice for your business. If on the other hand you’re already sure of your needs and you’re certain that you have long-term needs that require constant access to Tableau skills, then bringing a permanent developer onto your team might be more appropriate.

On Yotewo, you can find both permanent and freelance Tableau developers today, with the exact level of experience and skills that you need.

How to write a job description for a Tableau developer

Creating a job description for any new hire is vital to ensure not just that you find the right person for the role, but also that the developer and anyone who collaborates with them is clear on their expected duties and activities. The job title you specify underlines their role and their level of experience, so be specific, for example – Junior or Senior Tableau Developer, Consultant or Analyst.

The job description should also highlight what the new role’s main responsibilities are, what technical skills are required, any additional software proficiencies needed beyond Tableau, and any additional soft skills required. You should also make clear what kind of role it is, i.e. whether you’re looking for full-time, part-time or freelance developers.

From data to dashboards

The end result of most tableau projects is polished interactive dashboards and visualisations that are easy to access, manipulate and interpret by any layperson. But the process begins with raw data, and this is where the work of the Tableau developer starts, by connecting multiple sources of data to the dashboard. These data sources might include things like:

• Databases
• CRM platforms
•  Spreadsheets
•  Cloud-based platforms
• Analytics software

In the process of connecting relevant data, your Tableau developer will often need to ‘clean’ and prepare the data to ensure that it’s error-free, correctly formatted and complete, using Tableau Prep and other tools.

Once the data is connected, Tableau experts choose and design specific visualisations and organise them within the dashboard to ensure that the data tells a clear and compelling story. They also work on incorporating interactivity and ensuring that it is user-friendly.

After rigorous testing to make sure that the dashboard works as it should, it can be presented to stakeholders via Tableau Server, Tableau Online or in some cases Tableau Public. Once the dashboard is complete, Tableau developers are responsible for maintaining and updating it, particularly where live data is involved.

Pre-vetted Tableau developers on demand

One of the major benefits when you hire Tableau developers via Yotewo is that we thoroughly pre-vet all prospective matches to ensure that they have the level of experience and competency that they say they have. This not only takes a significant amount of the risk out of hiring developers, it also means that you can save both time and money during the recruitment process. Get started with your search for Tableau developers on Yotewo today, and find the talented experts that can take your data and turn it into powerful insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Tableau developer do?

Tableau developers are responsible for the design, development and maintenance of visualisations and dashboards via the platform. They take raw data and turn it into actionable insights and analysis that can be used by anyone in the organisation as needed.

What is meant by business intelligence?

Business Intelligence, often referred to as BI for short, is the group of processes relating to the collection and analysis of data, and its use by organisations of various kinds in their everyday business activities and long-term strategic planning.

Tableau is a tool for business intelligence, namely the analysis and visualisation of data which can be used in decision making processes. As well as providing insight for making more effective business decisions, business intelligence can help organisations to become more efficient, to identify opportunities, and to deliver additional value to clients.

Do Tableau developers need to know coding?

Using Tableau doesn’t necessarily require any coding knowledge as it is largely operated via a drag and drop interface, but most experienced developers do have experience in one or more relevant programming languages such as Python, which allow them to create more dynamic and in-depth dashboards.

What programming language does Tableau use?

Tableau runs on proprietary programming language created for the platform, called VizQL. Each time a user performs a drag and drop function, such as connecting a data source or specifying the parameters of a visualisation, a VizQL query is generated under the hood, which in turn is rendered visually.

Can Tableau run a Python script?

Yes, Python is often used by Tableau developers, who use Python scripts to perform extended statistical analysis, run additional calculations and to tweak interactive dashboard elements beyond what is possible with only VizQL.

Are there any alternatives to hiring tableau developers?

Some businesses train existing employees in Tableau to cover relatively modest or occasional needs. If your requirements don’t extend to needing a permanent developer on staff, you can of course hire freelance Tableau developers on Yotewo, pre-vetted and matched to your specifications and circumstances.

Is Tableau difficult to learn?

Tableau is designed to be relatively easy to learn and intuitive to use, but it still requires a significant investment of time and resources to become proficient to the point where you can generate accurate and compelling visualisations on demand. It can take several months to learn everything you need to know, but experienced Tableau developers go above and beyond merely knowing how to use the software, and are seasoned experts in creating dashboards and visualisations that create real value for businesses.